


Starcrossed

by im_the_king_of_the_ocean



Series: Amulet of Metamorphosis AU [1]
Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Backstory, F/M, Roleswap, changeling!barbara lake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 15:05:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17706566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_the_king_of_the_ocean/pseuds/im_the_king_of_the_ocean
Summary: As a young changeling, Barbara found herself curious about the world.  She never intended to fall in love, but she felt she should get to have the experience at least once in her life.  She will come to regret the consequences of her choices, but that time has yet to arrive.





	Starcrossed

**Author's Note:**

> Originally this was posted as an 'interlude' in ShadowStalkers itself. However, I felt that keeping it as such would break up the flow of that story (since I've decided against doing further interludes), so I thought it best to separate this into it's own short story.

Once, long ago, Barbara was a young changeling who was not very good at following orders.After living through her adolescent years concealed in shadows, the vibrance of the world intoxicated her.She completed her duties to the Janus Order, yes, and always in a timely manner too.But she’d also go exploring.

Reconnaissance missions she’d called them when her superiors rolled their eyes.They were willing to be lenient with her so long as she continued doing good work.She had a tendency to pick up invaluable tidbits most others missed and that made her irreplaceable in their eyes.A little dalliance with adventure could be overlooked, so long as it never _got in the way of her missions._ She’d grow out of this “phase” in time, they expected.

If Barbara was going to be honest, she thought she would too one day.

In the meantime, she’d read as many books about anatomy and medical procedures as she could get her hands on.The complex ways the human body worked, with all its muscles, arteries, and nerves, utterly fascinated her.Yes, she had a human form as all changelings did, but it lacked the _realness_ of true humanity.At the end of the day, what constituted her blood was more alike that of trolls and her troll-form organs did more to keep her functional than their human, (almost illusory) counterparts.That and the little education she’d been allowed had never covered anatomy.There was so much she didn’t know.

Barbara skimmed the titles of the books on the library shelf for ones she hadn’t already read through.One caught her eye, and then another, and then a third.She reached to snatch them from the shelf, but her hands moved too quickly and the books went tumbling to the floor.Before she could retrieve them, someone did for her.

“Here you go, miss.”He stood back up and held the books out to her with a smile.“Eager to read?”His eyes looked down at the title, and then frowned. _“Human Anatomy: A Complete Atlas_?”

“Yes.”Barbara snatched the book back.“I’m studying to become a doctor.”It was a lie, but a necessary one.Perhaps in an alternate reality, she could truly take on a medical career, but this was not that reality.Due to the time and dedication commitments needed for such a path, only a select few changelings ever got the coveted opportunity.She was far from being one of them.

“How fascinating!You know, I’m here for the very same reason.Well, alright, not exactly.”The man folded his hands together in what Barbara interpreted as a nervous gesture.“I’m afraid my studies are already too time consuming too take on any more, but the human body is a subject that holds my fascination quite a bit and—”

“Reeeally.”Barbara cut him off.This wasn’t the first time she’d had a run in with his type of man.Either he wanted to attempt dating her, which she definitely didn’t have time for, or he wanted to lecture her about his intelligence as a way of stroking his own ego.Maybe both.They weren’t mutually exclusive things.

“Yes, I—sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself.You probably don’t want to hear about any of this.”The man sighed and ran a hand through his messy black hair.“The thing is, I’ve been after that book for weeks but it’s always gone when I come for it.You wouldn’t happen to be interested in parting with it? For an hour or two at the most.I assure you, I am a quick reader.”He offered her a smile.

Barbara blinked.That wasn’t what she was expecting.Not in the slightest.She glanced down at the book.She didn’t necessarily _need_ it, but she didn’t particularly want to part with it either.Maybe this man wasn’t _that_ bad?Regardless, spending a couple hours in his company wouldn’t be her worst life experience ever.

“How about this, we go up to the cafe and read it together so neither of us has to part with it?”Barbara suggested.

There would be a time, years later, when she regretted saying that.

Sure, the man may have been more interested in a book than her that day, but that quickly changed.Barbara would be lying if she said she didn’t return his feelings either.Originally, it had just been his affection, which, after years of none, felt wonderful.Then it turned into something more.

Barbara supposed she should be allowed to have a romance at least once in her life.She’d break it off soon, anyway, and then it would be naught more but a happy memory.But not today.Not yet.She hadn’t had enough of the experience yet.

Her rationalizations lasted long enough that the situation escalated before she could prevent it.Not that she particularly wanted to prevent this outcome either, she later realized.Being pregnant was a fascinating experience.One she’d never considered until it happened, but one she wanted all the same.She was going to have a child and, more than anything, she wanted to get to know them.

It helped that her boyfriend was supportive, too.He was just as nervous as she was about the prospect of becoming a parent, but he turned his apprehension into enthusiasm for building a home.By the time he was done, they had a snug apartment with a nursery just in time for their son’s arrival.

The first five years of their family life were wonderful, even if they were overshadowed by the fact Barbara had never told her boyfriend of her true changeling nature.She hadn’t thought it would be necessary, at first.She’d break things off before things ever went too far, she’d always believed.Then she hadn’t.

Truth was, Barbara had no idea how to bring it up now.

Until the night he’d found out anyway and, fearing for both of their lives, Barbara had taken her son and escaped into the night.

Barbara’s footsteps slapped through puddles on the pavement.She’d meticulously canvassed nearly the entire city and still she couldn’t find the right alleyway.Everything ached, and not just the wing that had been injured by the lightning’s strike.She had to find him.She _had to_.Her was her son, her child, her _Jim_.She’d hidden him because, with his added weight, she wasn’t fast enough to not be caught by their pursuers.Not with both him and an injury.But that was over now.She’d lost the ones chasing them.She just needed to find Jim again and then she’d figure out what to do next.She’d never abandon her son to die.Never.

And yet.

It was sunrise when she dragged herself into the nearest of the Janus Order’s bases.She couldn’t keep searching under the sun when the humans would be out and, with her injury, she couldn’t transform.

Her adventure was over.It was time to move on.


End file.
